Our stay in Mandala was definitely the highlight of our trip. We really enjoyed spending time at the beach and the room accommodations were amazing. The Mandala staff spoke English and were very helpful. The breakfast and coffee were very good--we all loved the fresh fruit, variety of juice and friendly staff.
My sons also enjoyed the music/game room located in the office building. This is a great place for families to vacation!

Trip Details

Traveled

In family

Travel dates

June 27, 2018

Trip type

Classic

Trip customized with a local travel agent in the destination

We loved the room and location near the beach at the Mandala hotel where we stayed. We were also able to walk down the beach to visit a marine animal rescue facility. There were also local restaurants where we could find affordable meals for lunch and dinner.
The accommodations at Casa Kokopelli were also fabulous. Maria was amazing and I would highly recommend this place to any future travelers.
The best connection we made would be at the Otorongo Apartments. It was close to the river, we went on a tour of Cuenca, Ecuador, and we were close to food and shopping.

Worst parts:

I was under the impression that we would have an English-speaking tour guide when I booked the trip. This trip was for me and my family to become familiar with Ecuador on our way to move to Cuenca for a year. I am the only one who speaks Spanish, which made traveling and ordering very difficult for my husband. We also only had transportation between hotels and on two guided tours, which was unexpected.
The tour at Agua Blanca was done entirely in Spanish. Thank goodness there were placards in the museum that included an English translation of each exhibit.
Casa Kokopelli was difficult to find. We drove around for about an hour before finding it upon arrival. The local taxi driver could not find it and we had to be picked up by our hostess, Maria. The transport from Kokopelli also could not find it and was nearly an hour late to pick us up.
The city tour in Cuenca began over an hour late because the company had forgotten/misplaced our tour. We had an English-speaking guide and comfortable transport, but we were left in El Centro. This meant all five of us walked a mile back to our hotel less than 24 hours after arriving at altitude. Most of us were sick that afternoon.

Agency's response

Merika

Dear Jody,
I’m really happy to hear that all the accommodations have been more than satisfactory! I was surprised to learn that both drivers could not find Casa KokoPeli in Ballenita and I can assure...Dear Jody,
I’m really happy to hear that all the accommodations have been more than satisfactory! I was surprised to learn that both drivers could not find Casa KokoPeli in Ballenita and I can assure you we have contacted them as we expect from all drivers we work with to prepare their route to the desired destination as to not have those kinds of surprises.
I’m sorry to hear it was not clear upon booking that you would not have an English-speaking tour guide with you during the trip. All our itineraries always include on a day-to-day basis what is included, this goes as well for having an English-speaking tour guide on a certain day or for the full tour. I would have loved to been able to accompany you though, and I hope we can meet one day now that you and your family live in Cuenca.
With regards to your city tour: we have spoken with the guide and he has expressed his sincere apologies for the mis planning. As to make it up to you, we will not charge you for the additional transfers that were needed in Guayaquil and to Puerto Lopez. Although that does not take away the experience, I sincerely hope it leaves you with a positive impression of your new country.See more

Evaneos' response

Hello Jody,
Thank you for taking your time to leave feedback regarding your trip to Ecuador. Evaneos strives in providing exceptional services for our travelers and all feedback is taken seriously. ...Hello Jody,
Thank you for taking your time to leave feedback regarding your trip to Ecuador. Evaneos strives in providing exceptional services for our travelers and all feedback is taken seriously. I am happy to hear that your accomadations were good and I see that your local agent has already reached out to regarding the transfers issue.
Best regards,
PhilipSee more

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